


Perfect Fit

by insominia



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-06-29 15:31:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15732297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insominia/pseuds/insominia
Summary: A supply run to Vault 111 takes on an interesting turn when it's discovered rumours of Nate's death are grossly exaggerated.Originally at nfkm





	Perfect Fit

**Author's Note:**

> Originally here - https://newfalloutkinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/1168.html?thread=274320
> 
> Based on the prompt: Possibly a year or so later, after their supposed demise, miraculously, the Lone Survivor's spouse turns up alive, much to their spouse's surprise.

It had been Hancock's idea initially. Garvey had been bemoaning the lack of decent scrap the patrols had yielded recently, he feared the increasing forays by super mutants and with two of the three turrets down...well, he hardly had a need to continue.  
Hancock had pointed out that they had a vault on their doorstep and that had remained largely untouched since Nora had emerged from it the year before. The group had fallen quiet; it was the unwritten rule that the Vault was off limits. Not that Nora had explicitly said so, but it  _was_  her husband in there. Hancock didn't seem to have such reservations. He even offered to go in there himself when the others hesitated.   
  
In the end, Nick had gone with him, mostly to ensure Hancock didn't do something that would horrify even the Commonwealth's warped sensibilities. Curie had followed, intrigued by the cryogenic technology that lay within.   
  
"See?" Hancock had said, ripping out wires and attachments from a console while Nick winced, "parts." Sparks rained down on them, but Hancock didn't notice, grumbling under his breath about wasted opportunities. By the time he had finished he and Nick were laden with enough junk to rebuild Sanctuary's defences three times over, but nobody would be able to make use of the Vault again. Secretly Nick hoped Hancock hadn't destroyed the elevator mechanism in his haste but thought he'd keep that one to himself for the moment.   
  
They found Curie in one of the cryo chambers, excitedly peering into the pod both Nick and Hancock knew well. "This technology is remarkable, no?" Curie was saying as they approached, "why this one has been kept alive all this time despite the malfunction."  
  
"Yeah yeah, c'mon sweetheart," Hancock called, "you can play with corpses another time, let's get going."   
  
"Um...Hancock?"  
  
"But Monsieur, I do believe with just a small amount of medical attention this man can be restored, it is truly a marvel that the machinery has preserved him for so long..." Hancock was already walking away, Nick remained, waiting for Curie's words to sink in. "You see here, Monsieur Nick, he has sustained a bullet wound but this pod has kept him frozen and so he has not died yet. This pod has been operating on minimal power since he was injured, some sort of fail-safe I imagine, and continues to do so!" She turned to Nick, her eyes gleaming, "imagine Monsieur Nick it might be possible to revive him!" Curie clapped her hands together, "Oh! What an advance for science to do such a thing!"   
  
There was an abrupt crash from somewhere beyond the chamber before Hancock came hurrying back in, "Wait...did you say  _not_  dead?"

* * *

 

When Nora returned to Sanctuary, weary, dusty with Dogmeat nipping at her heels she immediately noticed two things. Firstly, the turrets she'd constructed near the bridge were looking better than ever. Secondly, everyone was looking at her with wide smiles and grins. Garvey came out to greet her, shuffling his feet, looking distinctly nervous as she approached. "Hey Preston," she said, cheerfully, "what's with this lot?" she asked, waving her hand at the settlers who seemed to be gathering to watch them.  
  
Garvey cleared his throat, "look...I just want you to know I had nothing to do with this. I mean, not that it's a bad thing, but well...I didn't want them going in there in the first place and I'm not sure what you're going to make of it anyway and-"  
  
Nora laughed, "Preston, you're not making much sense. What's up?"   
  
"We didn't know where to put him, but your house seemed best..."  
  
By now a veritable crowd had gathered around the house that had remained her own even after the Minutemen had settled in her hometown. "You settled someone in my house?" Nora asked an eyebrow arched somewhere between confusion and annoyance. She strode up to her front door, ignoring the chattering crowd that was watching her. Shaun was in front of her even before she'd reached it.  
  
"Mom! Mom isn't it great? Isn't this the best? C'mon! Come on!"   
  
He pulled her arm firmly, as Codsworth floated into view, "Oh mum, I can scarcely believe it! We simply  _must_ have a party to celebrate, oh I can't tell you, mum!"  
  
Nora pushed her way past them, "Ok guys, you're starting to scare...me..." she trailed off at the sight of the man who had caused all this commotion.   
  
Nate.  
  
It was Nate.   
  
_Actually Nate_.  
  
He was sitting in their lounge, in their house, a weak smile on his face as he hesitantly rose to his feet.   
  
"Hey honey," he said, softly.   
  
Curie was beside her, talking excitedly about something, but the words were washing over Nora as insubstantial as air...before it had become toxic at least.  
  
" _Bullet wound wasn't fatal...pod preserved his life at the point of impact...minimal operation...wasn't impacted by malfunction...stimpaks..._ "  
  
Nora was vaguely aware of Nick's voice calling out, "Come on folks, let's give them some space. You too Shaun, why don't you show me what you're working on in the workshop? Curie! You can talk about the hows later...hey you!" he called to someone beyond the door, "you run out of melons to harvest?"  
  
Everyone had filed out, but Nora hadn't moved. Her eyes fixed on Nate who was waiting for her to react. She opened her mouth to speak but for a few moments nothing came out. "You're...you're here?" she breathed eventually.   
  
Nate smiled, glancing around their house, "it's like I never left. You've done a great job..."  
  
"You're here."  
  
He looked exactly as she remembered, down to the blood on his vault suit - they'd really have to find him some clothes. He was smiling at her the way he always had like he couldn't quite believe his luck, though right now she didn't think she could believe her own.   
  
"You're here," she said again, it was about the only thing she could say.   
  
"I'm here," he said, gently, waiting for reality to set in.   
  
When it finally did she let out something between a sob and a scream and then she was in his arms, crying into his shoulder, grabbing at him as though she'd never let him go. Nate's arms came around her, holding her against him, burying his face into her shoulder.   
  
They had been separated by two centuries, but it had been hardly that for either of them. It had been a year for Nora since they had gone sprinting into the vault, while as far as Nate was concerned he'd seen her just that morning. Just a few hours ago he'd stepped into the pod, assuring her they'd be fine, that he'd see her soon. He had a blurred memory of someone trying to pull Shaun from him, but then there had been a shot and then just as suddenly he was awake on the cryo chamber floor, a strange assortment of characters assuring him he was alright and injecting him with- well he wasn't sure, but he felt better for it at least.   
  
It had been something of a shock, to say the least, to find himself two hundred years in a future blighted by nuclear fallout. He'd been numb with surprise to find himself greeted by Codsworth and a little boy claiming to be Shaun. But right now, with Nora in his arms, he felt like he could handle anything and everything this world had to throw at them.   
  
Their lips found each other, Nora kissing him with a passion Nate hadn't felt since his deployment days. If anything was to make him believe it had truly been two hundred years it was this; his wife grasping at him, her lips wet and salty from crying, pulling him towards what had once been their bedroom as though her life depended on it.   
  
She removed his vault suit with a great deal more finesse than he managed with what scraps of armour she'd cobbled together. They fell onto the bed together, Nate only wincing slightly from the pain where just an hour ago a bullet had been removed. Nora pushed him down, straddling his waist and claiming his lips again. This was different too - it had only been that morning for Nate where he had let his fingers trail across her skin only for her to shy away and remind him it that Shaun had kept her up most of the night, but he knew that was an excuse. She was still self-conscious after giving birth and had rejected all of his advances since she'd been in the later stages of pregnancy. Nora had clearly left those inhibitions behind in the cryo pod, as she lowered herself onto him, revelling in the comfortable familiarity she had thought lost to her. Nate held his wife's gaze as she ground her hips against him, their breath coming in short, sharp gasps. Neither held out long, Nora giving a short cry just a few moments later, seconds before a strangled groan escaped her husband.   
  
She crashed down onto the bed beside him. Nate's arm came around her to hold her, but she was already laying her head on his chest, her arms snaking around her as though she would never let him go again.   
  
"...you're really here."


End file.
